Saga of Sinnoh
by HorseLoverTW
Summary: Volkner fears his boredom will lead him down a path he can't afford to take, particularly when he still has a promise to fulfill. Talia Masters, a tutor from Kanto, hides a dark secret. One she can't afford to break. Riley just wants Riolu to evolve. R
1. Welcome to Sunnyhell

**Saga of Sinnoh**

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It would be exceptionally cool if I did…but alas…

A/N: Okay… I know this is waaaaaaay out in left field (and I don't even like baseball) but I have to go where the muses take me. Though even I'll admit this was a strange fandom to write in. Fun though! Please R&R.

**Chapter 1: Welcome to Sunnyhell**

Bright sunlight glared down over the shimmering solar panels of Sunyshore City as a woman, clothed in an emerald tank and khaki shorts, her hair hastily pulled up in a clip to escape the blistering heat, quickly jogged. Behind the woman trotted a ponyta, throwing its dainty head up in the air every few strides to illustrate its pleasure with the intensely hot afternoon. The ponyta's flaming mane was waving merrily and its fiery tail swished back and forth with each beat of its strong legs.

After circumventing the entire length of solar panels twice, the woman came to an abrupt stop, panting, and rested her hands on her knees. The ponyta skipped around the woman a few times, sniffed her, gave a snort and continued eagerly hopping around.

"Stop…showing…off…Saga…" the woman panted from her doubled over position.

"PONYTA!" Saga neighed happily in response, obviously used to her trainer's post workout exhaustion.

A portly sailor sporting a shaggy black beard peppered in with a few gray hairs he liked to deny existed walked toward the pair and leaned heavily against the railing a few feet from the woman. He shielded his wrinkled face from the sun and said, "You about done, Miss Masters? My ship needs to be setting off within the hour…"

The woman straightened up and sighed, "Yea, of course. Sorry…"

The sailor dropped his arm to regard her more closely. "Didn't mean to rush you…Say, did you ever find that Gym Leader you were looking for? Falkner?"

"It's Volkner, and no," the woman said softly with a small frown. "Falkner is a Gym Leader in Johto."

"That's not far from where we picked you up in Vermillion Harbor."

"Not terribly… but I've never actually been to Johto to tell you the truth."

"What brought you all the way to Sinnoh then? And why are you looking for this guy, Volkner? Kind of a weird name, if you ask me…"

The woman absently scratched Saga's head as she considered the question. Saga, for her part, relished the attention and blissfully rubbed her forehead against the woman, eager for more.

"Well, it's somewhat complicated…I don't want to hold up our departure…"

"S'alright. The crew are fitting her up as we speak. By the time you're done, I'm sure she'll be ready to sail."

"…I've been a tutor for the past several years and one day, one of my students brings an odd parcel. He called it an 'Electrilizer' and said that he'd gotten it from a trainer who'd sailed in from this region. I had to confiscate it from the boy because he wouldn't stop messing with it during our lesson and was distracting the other students. I inquired all around, but no one knew what it was or did. Finally, the name as my only clue, I went to Vermillion where Lieutenant Surge's Gym is, hoping he would know." The woman shook her head in dismay, "That turned out to be a huge waste of time. Not only did he not know, but he was a complete pig about it."

"So this Volkner guy must be another Electric Gym Leader then?"

"Right, and I figured that he'd know. Only, we've been here for two days and I haven't seen him at all. All the locals I talk to just sort of laugh when I mention that I'd like to talk to him…"

"It's an awful lot of trouble you're going through just to find out what this child's gizmo is…"

She gave a rueful half-smile. "I'm not being completely honest with you…"

The sailor laughed, his silver hairs catching the sun and making it look like his beard was partially on fire. "Don't tell me! –You're not really a tutor?"

"Oh, that parts true enough. I just left out the part about how completely annoyed with my job I was getting. I wanted a break, far away. Just sort of used the mystery of the device as my excuse."

"Fair enough," he chuckled. He pushed off from the rail and they began to walk back toward the dock together, Saga sprinting off ahead of them in a flash of sparks and heat. "Our next port is Sandgem Town, where I hear a famous Pokemon Professor lives. You can have a bit more adventure there before we make our way back to Kanto, and you'll enjoy their beach. It's perfect fer your runnings."

Touched by the old sailor's thoughtfulness, the woman smiled and replied, "Thank you, I've really enjo-

"PONY!" A shrill whinny of distress came from ahead of them near the base of the ramp that led to the upraised solar-paneled streets of Sunyshore. The woman ran toward the noise as fast as she could while the sailor, an old limp in his leg, awkwardly jogged far behind.

A very agitated Luxray was growling at Saga, whose petite black muzzle appeared singed, sparks of electricity dancing in the air before her. Her enormous liquid brown eyes were rolling in fear and her diamond hooves sparkled as she reared them in defense. The Luxray, with its leonine eyes fastened on the small ponyta let out an ominous roar, its sinewy muscles contracting in preparation to pounce as its star tipped tail twitched back and forth restlessly.

"BACK OFF!" The woman screamed, coming in between the two and raising her hands toward the Luxray in a warding gesture.

"Lux!" A masculine voice admonished, and soon a man could be seen calmly walking up from behind the glaring Luxray. His medium-length shaggy yellow hair was artfully styled around a thin face and electric blue eyes. He was tall, around six feet, but his frame was lean and muscular, as evidenced by the tailored jacket he wore, also in blue. He looked like a rock-star or a famous actor, somebody too unbelievable to be real. The look was completed with the bored scowl stretched across his mouth as he stepped up to the woman, a haughty look of dismissal in his cold eyes from just a glance at Saga.

"Maybe your ponyta should back off?" he suggested, coming to rest a protective hand on his Luxray.

"Saga wouldn't hurt a Butterfree!" The woman exclaimed as though it were a fact. She went on, her hands on her hips, "You need to keep a better eye on your pokemon if they're going to attack without provocation."

The man's scowl deepened and he crossed his arms. "It's Lux's duty to patrol the city and make sure that wild pokemon don't damage the solar panels we just had refitted."

"Well, obviously, Saga is no wild pokemon!"

"Could have fooled me. The whites of her eyes were showing she was so scared. Doubt you've ever even battled her before."

"Want to find out?" The woman nearly growled, ready to battle herself if it meant defending her ponyta's valor.

The man actually smirked. "Naw," he glibly drawled. "Wouldn't be worth my time."

"You're kidding, right?" The woman asked. "Just who in the hell do you think you are!"

"Victor Volkner, Gym leader of Sunyshore and the most powerful trainer in Sinnoh," he replied offhand.

The woman laughed. "Yea, and I'm Lance, the Dragon Master."

The sailor finally came upon them and fell over, his face a bright krabby red as he heaved oxygen.

Neither paid him any mind however, as the woman continued to glare and the man continued to casually snub.

"Funny," the man said. "You don't seem to have a cape…and I think Lance would have a problem being seen with a fire pony, which is odd considering his otherwise horrid sense of taste."

"Oh, and I suppose you know Lance as well, you being _so_ special."

His smirk quirked upward into the realm of a grin as he continued to calmly meet her tepid sarcasm. "Actually, yes. Nearly had him too except for that last Dragonite. Dragon's hide is a bit too leathery for electricity…"

"Oh…" realization seemed to come as the woman took in his appearance and his Luxray once more, noting the high vitality level of his pokemon and the steely confidence the man presented as he stood before her, arms still loosely crossed and head cocked slightly to the side, amused as her comprehension dawned.

"Oh!" She suddenly gasped, "I'm…uh…well, actually no. You're still a jerk. Just of the Gym Leader variety. Are all Electric Leaders like this?"

The mask of indifference slipped aside entirely as a genuine grin broke out across his attractive face. "I hear the guy in Hoenn is alright, but that could just be because he's too old to really do much."

She ignored him and shuffled around her backpack for a moment until she found what she was looking for and tossed it to him. Reflexively, he caught it just before it could wipe the grin off his face and looking perplexed, asked, "What's this?"

"A Poison Fang. What does it look like!"

He rolled his eyes. "To think, this conversation could have already been over if I'd just let Lux eat your ponyta and you."

She let out a frustrated sigh and took a few impatient steps closer to him until they were standing only a foot apart. He raised an eyebrow but didn't retreat.

She flipped the object over in his hands. "Well, what does it look like, Mr. Electric genius?"

He pulled his eyes away from her face to regard the parcel for a moment. And it only took a moment before he was calmly staring back into her face, Mona Lisa smirk on his insufferable lips. "An Electrilizer."

She covered her face with her hands to stifle her scream of annoyance. "I. know. that." She grounded out. "What does it do?"

"It's used to evolve Electibuzz," he answered simply, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The woman deflated. "That's it?" She asked skeptically.

Volkner nodded.

She heaved a sigh and gave Saga one last pat before returning her to her pokeball in a haze of red energy and a reproachful wicker of discontent. To Volkner, she said flatly, "It's been…a treat," before she turned to go collect her sailor and return to their ship, 'The Flying Magicarp.' Over her shoulder, she called, "Keep up your revoltingly foul Electric Gym Leader ways, I think Lt. Surge and you are neck and neck!"

The woman and the sailor slowly made their way back to Sunyshore's small harbor where 'The Flying Magicarp' was ready to go, its crew on deck and its meager dozen passengers already in their staterooms. They were halfway down the wooden dock when a gratingly familiar voice shouted, "The Lieutenant has nothing on me!"

The woman closed her eyes and counted to three before she turned around. Unfortunately, Victor Volkner was still there when she opened them, a backpack slung recklessly over one shoulder.

"What _are_ you doing?" She asked, clearly annoyed and not liking where this was going.

"You forgot your Electrilizer," he shrugged, amusement plastered over his face as they collectively boarded the gangplank.

"No, I mean what are you doing getting on this ship?" She inquired uneasily as growing horror filled her stomach while she watched him pay the sailor for his fare.

"I'm coming with you of course. _'You'_ being a complete stranger since I haven't your name yet."

"I didn't realize I was in the market for strays, particularly those that are inclined to feed me to their Luxray and insult my training."

"I was getting bored- which is never a good thing in Sunyshore, take my word- and you seemed to be moderately interesting, if a little off-putting."

"You seem to be entirely off-putting and not even a little interesting," she supplied as she hurriedly tried to duck around him and into her cabin.

He blocked her path with his body. "I'm seemingly interesting through longer exposures." He leaned in toward her, grinning devilishly and she leaned back in disgust. "And don't take it too personally, No-Name. I like to get out and tour the region every other year; reaffirms my suspicions that the rest of the trainers out there are as weak as I generally perceive them to be."

She crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "It's Talia Masters and I'm not going through the Sinnoh region!" He arched a brow at her childishness and she narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath and then said slowly, "And even if I were, it wouldn't be with some delusional, egomaniacal, aggrandizing jackass like you!"

He gave an indifferent shrug and replied lazily, "We'll see…" before leaving her, a flippant two-fingered wave his solute good night.

Her mouth opened and closed for a moment like the namesake of the ship they sailed before she stomped into her cabin and slammed the door shut, immediately feeling very bad about abusing the ship a moment later as she let Saga out of her pokeball to get some dinner.


	2. Let Bagons Be

**Saga of Sinnoh**

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, I'd fly Charizard to work.

**Chapter 2: Let Bagons Be**

The chillness of the Sinnoh Region pervaded even its southern waters as the small 'Flying Magicarp' discovered. The ship carefully made its way at a cruising twenty knots due southwest. Lying in one of the reclined pool chairs on the abandoned deck slept Talia Masters, Saga the Ponyta curled into her side, keeping her warm and gently snoozing.

"Jolt, Jolt, Jolt!" A grim faced Jolteon chanted as it walked up to the pair and paused to regard the beatific face of the Ponyta. So enamored was the electric fox that it gave Ponyta's velvety muzzle, where a tiny burn from the previous day was still visible, a gentle lick.

Saga's eyes flew open in alarm and a band of white-hot flame shot out at the Jolteon without warning. Jolteon released a protective static charge around its body and quickly jumped back to a safer distance, a hurt look on its pointed yellow face.

"_Saga…_" Talia scolded, her voice rough with sleep as she eased herself off the chair and stumbled over to the Jolteon. Saga followed at a cautious distance, wrinkling her nose and flaring her nostrils at the scent on them.

Talia knelt beside the pokemon and gave it a soothing pat on the head when she saw it wasn't upset by her presence. "Are you okay?"

"Jolteeeeon," it affirmed, giving her the softest static shock she'd ever had, his deep brown eyes boring into hers solemnly.

"You are a sweetie… Saga thinks so too, she's just shy."

Saga snorted, affronted, and stalked off to the bow of the ship with her fiery tail held high. Jolteon watched her go, his grim look back in place and his spiky shocks of yellow coat crackling with electricity.

"Getting to know Jag, I see. He's my resident 'lady's man'…well, pokemon anyway," Volkner mused, coming up to them from the stairs that led below deck.

Startled, Talia whirled around. A pained look spread across her features before she narrowed her aqua-colored eyes. "He's far more charming than his trainer at least…"

Volkner shrugged, resting his lean frame against the railing as the backdrop of the frothy ocean and the streaks of sunlight danced behind him. "Not according to the stewardess," he smirked, arms folded and waiting patiently for her reaction.

Knowing that the twenty-six year old- in her defense, looking him up was more a precaution than a curiosity- expected a rise from her, Talia heaved a sigh and made an about-face, leaving him with a raised brow as he watched her backside disappear toward the ship's bow.

He tilted his head to the side as he regarded the way the streaks of sunshine highlighted her golden head. Jolteon looked up at his trainer mournfully. "Joooooolt…" he whined, butting his spiky head against Volkner's jean-clad leg.

"Yea, let's go," Volkner said distractedly, pushing off from the railing and slowly heading back down the steps toward his cabin, the stewardess Jasmine, waiting in his bed, all but forgotten.

The 'Flying Magicarp' docked at the Pokemon Pal Park the morning before they were set to arrive in Sandgem Harbor. The rusty old captain assured the passengers over the PA that the delay would only last a few hours as the crew made repairs to the second generator that had been making ominous groaning noises for the past day of their voyage.

Several of the passengers, Talia included, decided to make a shore excursion of the delay and stretch their legs.

Volkner watched her disembark from his cabin window, grinning as he saw Jag trailing stealthily behind her. An elegantly pale hand with stark, ruby red fingernails snaked its way up his sculpted abdomen to his bare chest, the nails raking their way along until the slender hand grasped his bicep and pouty lips planted themselves on his shoulder blade.

The stewardess kissed her way from behind him across the plain of his shoulder to where her hand lay, mumbling in between kisses, "Come…back…to…bed…" She turned him around, grinning deliciously up at his amused face and sweeping her ruby red nails into his mussed hair. "I only have another hour before my shift starts…" she purred, jutting her lower lip out playfully.

Still amused but unmoved, Volkner grinned, "Hardly enough time then. You should get going, I have to feed my team their breakfast."

Jasmine the stewardess narrowed her eyes before pushing her small body, wrapped only in a thin terry-cloth robe, into Volkner's, hooking her painted fingers through the belt loops in his jeans as she fixed his bum against the table by the window with her pelvis. Volkner raised a brow and arched ever so slightly back as she leaned toward him, the tips of her breasts through the terry cloth pressed teasingly over his chest. "They won't mind waiting a little while…" she assured as her hand slid from his belt loop to flit enticingly over his zipper.

A brief flash of annoyance lit his stormy blue eyes like lightning before he covered it in an apologetic grin. "Sorry, they're on a pretty fixed schedule," he said as he grasped her hand and pulled it firmly away from his crotch.

Feeling properly snubbed, the woman withdrew like she had been kicked, an ugly look of rage and embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "I'm not offering again…" she threatened.

Volkner nodded, as though this were a business deal and then dismissively turned his attention back to the window just in time to see Jag slip out of sight.

The stewardess growled in frustration before quickly rummaging around for her clothes and fleeing to the bathroom. She would blog later that night on the 'Volkner is an Asshole' webpage.

Talia released Saga as soon as they were away from the crowd by the dock and the two began along a tree-lined path toward the towering structure of the Pal Park.

It rested on a large, grassy hill like a behemoth, its size magnified by the surrounding nature. Coming up upon the guards, imposing figures in gray uniforms with helmets and ray-bans, Talia inquired tentatively, "Hello. I've heard of this place before but I can't remember what it does. Could you help me please?"

One of the guards smiled warmly, immediately setting her at ease. "The Pal Park is a sanctuary for abandoned pokemon. Trainers are even encouraged to release pokemon here, with no penalty, as opposed to releasing a domestic pokemon strait into the wild."

"But aren't most pokemon native to the wild, anyway?"

"No, more and more these days are bred in captivity on day-care farms. They never have any exposure to living in the wild until one day when their trainer bores of them and releases them to fend for themselves."

Talia looked disgusted. "That's horrible," she said, laying a protective hand on Ponyta's curious muzzle.

The guard nodded. "It is. That's why this place was formed."

"So what happens to the pokemon in the sanctuary?"

"Trainers may come in with a fee and catch up to six of them but they may not use any means to lure or weaken the pokemon."

"To make sure the pokemon wants to be caught?"

"Exactly."

"How much is the fee?" Talia asked speculatively.

The guard eyed her once more. "Fifteen hundred, but it's the Pal Park pokeballs that will cost you. They're the only type allowed in the park and they're each another thousand."

She frowned. "That's a little pricey…"

"Is that your pokemon too?" The other guard asked suddenly.

Talia turned around and saw where he was pointing. Volkner's Jolteon crouched lower in the bushes but she could make out his yellow coat easily enough against the dense green foliage.

Before she could deny, the other guard went on, the stern lines of his face looking more imposing as he spoke, "We don't allow wild pokemon near the sanctuary. That would defeat its purpose."

"Ummm….yea. He's with me," Talia said slowly. She turned back to the Jolteon and called, "Come here Jag! Quit playing around!" Begging the pokemon to come before the nasty looking guard did something…well, nasty.

Jolteon poked his head up, startled, before sheepishly slinking from the bushes toward Talia. He came up to her, looking ashamed, before he sat beside her and snuck a glance at Saga who snorted away from him.

The nicer guard chuckled. "Those are some nice pokemon you have there. And what's that Jolteon rated at? Level fifty? Sixty?"

Panicked inside, Talia lied through her teeth, hoping she was close. "He's level fifty-eight. He's a doll in battles, always comes through in a pinch."

"Did you just catch that Ponyta? She looks a little green."

Talia swallowed her resentment and smiled deceivingly. "She'll fool you."

The guard obliviously smiled back. "Well, you seem like the good sort of trainer. Why don't you try your luck in the park? I'll even give you one of my parkballs to use."

"That's very kind…" she said, about to politely decline, but then she thought better. What would be the harm? She had a few hours to kill and it wasn't as though fifteen hundred alone would break her savings. "Alright."

The Pal Park consisted of several acres of varied land. There was a small plain of tall yellowed grass, a moderately sized lake with white, sandy beaches, a few outcroppings of dense trees making little oasis-like patches of forest and a small mesa with red clay and craggy cliffs. It was a world in and of itself, teeming with hundreds of pokemon of every shape and size.

Restless to get back to Saga and Jolteon, whom she'd left in the care of the friendly guard, Talia set off toward the red dome of the mesa. She encountered a particularly chubby Caterpie and an obnoxiously barking Poochyena along the way that she chose to circumvent.

In the shadow of the dome, the yellowed grass itching all the way up to her knees, Talia spotted what she at first thought to be a smooth Geodude. Cautiously moving closer, she was alarmed to find a small trail of smoke coming from the pokemon. Several blades of the dried grass snapped under her shoe and the pokemon lurched upward.

She stifled a gasp as she was met with the sight of a rare Bagon in place of what she'd assumed to be a strange Geodude. The reptilian blue skin was sallow and hung off the pokemon in tiny folds, like its skin was too big for it. Its eyes were hallowed and lackluster, barely registering her presence as it blankly regarded her.

Talia took a tentative step forward, noting its unusually small size and malnourishment. A few feet away from the Bagon, it began to pant, its eyes nervously rolling as its small legs appeared too paralyzed with fear to move. Hissing noises emitted along with streams of smoke from its mouth.

"Hey…" Talia whispered in a low, soothing voice. "It's okay…easy…" She reached into her pocket and found a poketreat. Before offering it to the trembling Bagon, she glanced around to make sure no one was watching- the guards had said nothing could be used to lure or weaken a pokemon- but she didn't see anyone and the poor lizard was practically starving to death.

The Bagon's snout twitched and its tongue swept out in a snake-like gesture as it inhaled the treat. They stood off a few feet away from each other for another minute before Talia eased herself closer and very slowly placed the treat on the ground before the Bagon.

The Bagon looked wearily between the treat and Talia before giving a little half-hop and quickly devouring the treat whole, a large lump in its throat forming where the treat lodged itself. Bagon swallowed noisily, licked its snout in contemplation and then turned expectantly to Talia once more.

She smiled. "I don't have any more with me but I'd be happy to feed you forever if you'd be my pokemon."

Bagon's eyes widened and it leapt back several hops, looking betrayed and stony once more but not fleeing. Talia knelt down so they were eye to eye and then whispered, "I don't know what's happened to you in the past, but I promise to take care of you."

Bagon continued to eye her distrustfully for a moment when all of the sudden, a herd of about four Rhyhorn came thundering down the mesa's steep cliff, their eyes wide and terrified. A man in a safari hat and kaki outfit appeared in their wake, waving his arms and shouting, "Come back! I just want to catch one of you! No need to run!" Before he dashed after them and stumbled down the cliffside, falling roughly on the rump of one and spooking the large creatures worse than they already were.

Bagon was once more rooted to the spot in fear, this time legitimate as the Rhyhorn looked in no mood to stop.

Her heart pounding and her mind flooded with what a rock-hard horn through the stomach would feel like as hundreds of pounds of pokemon trampled her, Talia quickly sprung to motion. Not waiting for an invite, she lugged Bagon up into her arms, his weight far less than that of a normal Bagon but still substantial enough to make her stumble backward for a moment before she rushed them to the side just as the Rhyhorns stampeded past, the earth around them shuddering.

When the red dust and torn yellow grass had settled, and the annoying man who had caused the stampede and offered the briefest of apologies for almost killing her had dashed off after the Rhyhorn once more, Talia registered that her heart beat was coming out of the stratosphere and that she was still somehow holding the now rather heavy Bagon cradled in her arms.

Bagon was not thrashing to get out of her grip, but rather staring up at her with a distinct look of awe. She gently sat him down, her muscles trembling from the effort. Before she could say or think to do anything else though, Bagon hopped to her legs and threw his stubby arms around her knees, clutching her so tightly she thought she'd fall over sideways.

She awkwardly pat his rock hard head, and said softly, "It's okay…"

Bagon began to speak for the first time, a gravelly sort of murmur, "B-a-a-gon…B-aaa-a-gon!"

"I have to return to my ship soon… would like to come with me?" She asked, barely breathing.

Bagon clutched her around the knees tighter and nodded fiercely. "B-AA-gon!" he roared.

Talia smiled. "Thank you…would you like a nickname?"

Bagon nodded against her legs, still refusing to let go. Talia thought for a bit, still absently patting his head comfortingly. "Well, you're a dragon type, so something to go along with that. Something for the powerful pokemon I know you'll be one day… how about Lance?"

The Bagon finally dug his head out from her knee and gave a small glare. "Umm…okay then. Perhaps not. What about…Drag-con? You know, sort of like 'Bagon?'"

Bagon tilted his head and looked at her in a perplexed manner, as if to say, are you really a sane person?

"Alright, I've got it." Talia pulled out the parkball, and grinned, "Draco."

Bagon considered it and then gave a sharp nod. Talia happily snapped the parkball and the red energy engulfed Draco before he disappeared inside it. The ball shifted slightly once, then clicked into place, signifying that the pokemon was caught.

Elated, Talia secured the parkball to her belt and then made her way back across the yellowed plain, walking quickly and avoiding the same growling Poochyena.

The guard saw her as she re-entered the main Park building and quickly came up to her. "How'd it go?" he asked genuinely as he handed her Saga's pokeball. Jolteon stepped up to her side like a well-behaved gentleman. The guard luckily hadn't questioned her when she hadn't produced a pokeball to store the electric fox in.

"It was great! I found a Bagon," she beamed as she showed him the now occupied parkball he had provided her with. "Although," she said after he'd congratulated her, "There was this maniac trainer after some Rhyhorn that almost got us killed. He was spooking them and didn't seem to know anything about how to properly approach a pokemon."

The guard frowned at that and gestured to his partner. "We'll look into it. You take care and keep treating your pokemon well!"

"I will," Talia said earnestly. She shook his hand. "Thank you for everything."

"My pleasure," the guard smiled before he and his partner exited back into the park.

Talia watched them go before she exited out the main entrance and back to the path that led to the dock, glancing at her watch in worry as she did so. It had already been three hours!

"Saga! Come on out, we have to run!" She yelled as the warm glow of red erupted from Ponyta's ball and Saga appeared. Although she was a bit big to ride Saga, Ponyta's were incredibly strong and could easily carry twice their weight. Talia swung her leg over in a practiced motion and gracefully sat astride Saga before the fire pony took off in a flaming blur.

Jolteon raced to keep up as Saga playfully slowed down and sped up again, the rhythmic pounding of her diamond hard hooves on the packed gravel path never faltering.

Talia's breath caught as they approached the dock and the heard the horn blast of the 'Flying Magicarp' as it began to pull away from the dock.

A man was standing on the pier, watching the ship pull away- a man in a blue jacket.

The steamer was only a few feet off the pier at the moment as it slowly drew away. Its deck was approximately five feet above the level of the dock.

Saga came galloping onto the dock, Jolteon right on her heels. Volkner was startled to see them approaching so fast but began toward them. Talia held her breath and hoped this day wouldn't end in her breaking her promise to Draco so quickly.

"Hold out your arm!" Talia screamed as she urged Saga on with her legs. Ponyta poured on the speed, leaving Jolteon in her wake and the world around them a blur as the wind whipped violently past.

Briefly horrified when he saw what she was intending, Volkner's face tightened and he made a quick glance back to the retreating ship. Turning back to the fast approaching pair, he gravely nodded and took a ready stance, his arm out.

Talia wrapped her legs around Ponyta as tightly as she could and braced herself with her arm outstretched as Saga thundered down the pier toward Volkner. Volkner launched himself at Talia's arm just as they passed, grabbing it firmly. The impact made her lurch dangerously sideways before she could grip Saga's shoulder with her other arm. Volkner used her arm to hoist himself up behind her in a fluid leap. Saga grunted at the extra weight but didn't break stride as she continued her mad dash toward the slowly departing 'Flying Magicarp.'

Grim faced, Volkner tightly wrapped his arms around Talia's waist as she hunched over Saga's neck and shouted, "Now!" Just as Ponyta's hooves reached the very end of the pier, she gathered herself enormously and pushed off in one mighty leap.

The takeoff of the jump propelled them impossibly high but the world seemed to be frozen in slow motion as Ponyta leveled off and glided through the air toward the deck of the ship. She stretched her body as far as she could, her delicate ears pinned back in concentration and her flaming mane and tail burning a white-hot color.

Just when Talia thought there was no way they'd clear the railing, that surely Ponyta's foot would catch on it and they'd go crashing to a watery grave, Saga's front hooves touched down with an efficient clang onto the ship's deck and then all four feet were on the deck and Saga was skidding to a halt.

The three panted in silence for a moment, their hearts beating too fast to really do much else before Volkner quickly jumped off and ran back to the railing, withdrawing one of the pokeballs at his belt and calling back Jolteon from the pier.

Satisfied that Jag was alright, Volkner walked up to Talia, still clinging to Saga for dear life and gently pried her arms loose. He wrapped one of them around his neck and hoisted her off before gently setting her down on the deck.

"I definitely…well, probably," he amended with a small smile as he stood and gazed down at her, "won't make fun of your Ponyta after that."

Talia took a steadying breath and decided she'd try to stand at a later time. For now the deck was fine. "What were you even doing on the dock? Why weren't you on the ship?"

Volkner patted her sweaty golden head, much like she had earlier done to Draco, and grinned. "I couldn't leave Jag behind." He stared down at her, amused and slightly awed with the stunt she'd just pulled.

Talia mentally kicked herself. Of course he wasn't going to leave his pokemon! He might be a first rate jerk but he was still a competent trainer…well, according to everyone and everything she read on him.

"Oh… right. Well, umm…I guess I'll see you later…" Talia finished lamely, not sure she liked the strange stare he was giving her.

Volkner gave her one last enigmatic look and then his signature two fingered salute before he turned to Saga and gave an affectionate pat and walked off toward the stairway to the cabins.

Talia lay on the deck for a while longer, still trying to catch her breath and wondering why the simple pat he'd given her Ponyta had affected her so much.


	3. All Rileyed Up

**Saga of Sinnoh**

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, Articuno would run a snow cone stand from my front yard.

**Chapter 3: All Riley-ed Up  
**

Talia found herself disappointed as she walked along the well-trodden dirt pathway toward Sandgem Town. The 'Flying Magicarp' had docked in Sandgem's not so ironically named beach a half hour ago and would be departing early the next morning for its return voyage to Sunnyshore and then Kanto. She was on her way to tour the town a bit but hadn't seen Volkner since he'd practically ran off the ship. She'd wanted to…

Well, she didn't actually know what she wanted to do or exactly what she wanted to say to him, but she knew she wasn't ready for goodbye.

Talia kicked a wayward rock in annoyance. The rock kicked up another that flew up and hit Ponyta on her rump. The fire pony kicked out in surprise and unseated Draco the Bagon who had grumpily agreed to sit on Saga's back for the short journey into town.

Draco ended up flying awkwardly through the air for a few moments, his eyes wide and his stubby blue arms frantically waving. He hit the ground a very short second later and laid there face down for a moment. Talia rushed to his side and gingerly turned him over to see the oddest mixture of shock and euphoria etched onto Draco's normally stoic face.

"You okay?" she asked, puzzled.

"Baaaaayygon…" Draco whispered unsteadily, still lost in whatever fantasy had just occurred to him. Talia gave a soft laugh and shook her head fondly at Draco's oddness before quickly helping the little dragon to stand. He was still very weak from malnourishment and didn't need any broken bones complicated matters.

Affectionately brushing off the gathered dirt from his rock-hard head, she didn't notice as a small girl, her shiny black hair in bouncy pigtails, came excitedly running up to Ponyta and threw a pokeball.

"You're mine, Ponyta!" she shouted eagerly as the pokeball soared toward Saga.

Saga raised her head in alarm, her fiery mane flaring up in distress.

Talia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Flame wheel, Saga!" she commanded, Draco from beside her looking on curiously.

Saga's panic dispelled at her trainer's directive. Like an inferno, her body superheated, the flames radiating out of her mane and tail until they engulfed her cream colored body completely. Now a churning flame of energy, Saga bucked up into the encroaching pokeball, incinerating it upon impact.

"Wow…" the little girl breathed in amazement, stopping short and gazing in wonder as Saga's flame wheel dissipated.

Talia, holding Bagon's paw like a mother would her toddler's hand, walked strait up to the girl. "Hello, my name is Talia Masters," she said politely to the young girl, trying to keep any animosity out of her tone. Some children didn't have the moral compass at home known as good parenting to keep them out of mischief. It wasn't the child's fault.

The girl, not at all shy, took Talia's greeting as a sign they were on the fast track to friendship. Her dark round eyes glowed with excitement before her youthful energy bubbled over into her Rapidash-esque speech, "Hi! I'm Josephine Pearl. Is that your Ponyta? She's really pretty! I didn't see you standing over here with your… what kind of pokemon is that? I don't think I've ever seen one of those before. Are you taking the gym challenge? You must be a really good trainer! My…

"Josy!" A boy around twelve came running up. He wore a red beret and matching scarf with a dark blue sweater vest over a lighter blue short sleeve. Oddly, he looked so immaculately put together that his green cargo pants didn't seem out of place. He caught up to them slightly out of breath and looked apologetically up to Talia. "I hope my little sister isn't bothering you, ma'm."

Talia's expression softened. "No, we were just introducing ourselves." She couldn't help but add, "However, I would like to mention as a first impression, trying to catch another person's pokemon might not be the best way to go."

The little girl's face fell in shame and she quickly turned to her brother pleadingly, clutching at his scarf, "I didn't mean to!" She shook the scarf, unintentionally strangling her brother in the process. "I didn't know, Lukas! I just thought it was a wild Ponyta that had gone far away from its family accidentally…"

Lukas, a little blue in the face from lack of oxygen, impatiently dislodged his sister's vice-like fingers. "Grandpa talked to you about this, Josy. Professor Rowan will give you your first pokemon when its time for you to begin your journey. Until then…" he paused and looked pleadingly up to Talia for help as his little sister's eyes began to tear up.

Giving Lukas an understanding nod, Talia let her authoritative tutor expression slip into place as she laid a firm hand on Josephine's tiny, shaking shoulder. "Look at me, Josephine," she calmly ordered in her best teacher voice.

The little girl, eyes rimmed with moisture and lip beginning to quiver, slowly met her gaze.

Now that she had the girl's attention, she schooled her features and voice into a more calming persona, easing the child's impending meltdown. "Shhh… It's okay," she murmured soothingly. "Your brother is just looking out for you. He's very nice. In fact," Talia used a clean tissue from her pocket and wiped at Josephine's eyes, "I wish I had a brother as nice as him."

"But he's just like everyone else!" Josephine suddenly exploded, her demeanor quickly shifting. "No one wants me to have a pokemon!"

Talia calmly stared her down for a moment, forcing to Josephine settle herself, before she responded evenly, "I think everyone wants you to have a pokemon, when you've earned it. And something as big and important as getting your first pokemon is something you definitely need to work toward." The girl looked as though she wanted to argue but Talia cut her off, "And how can you show everyone you're ready for a pokemon if you're trying to take shortcuts?"

"But I'm ready now at seven! I shouldn't have to wait years and years if I'm ready now!" She cried belligerently, taking her final stand.

Talia smiled indulgently. "What about all the other seven year olds who want their first pokemon now? What about the eight year olds? The nine? Does your professor have enough for all of them? And if not, would it be fair to give pokemon to some but not others?" She paused for a moment and let the girl mull it over before going for the endgame, "Don't you think it's much better to enjoy the reward of all your waiting and hard work when the time comes for you to begin your adventure? Wouldn't that be fair to you and everyone else?"

The girl glared at nothing in particular for a moment before heaving an enormous sigh of frustration, dropping her gaze to the grass and slowly nodding.

Her sights so fixated on the ground, Josephine missed the mouthed, 'thank you,' her brother sent to Talia and her replied, 'no problem.'

Her pout passing on in the number of seconds it took to count to her age, Josy looked up. "I guess you're right. Are you heading to Sandgem? We can take you there! I'll show you the lab! and the PokeCenter! and the PokeMart! and…"

She began tugging Talia down the road, still listing off the sights to see. Lukas looked like he was about to apologize for his sister again, but seeing the grin on Talia's face, just followed along, looking relieved.

After a very enthusiastic tour of the quaint beach town and dropping her two pokemon off at the Pokemon Center with the local Nurse Joy- who was apparently the second cousin twice removed of the Joy in Celadon City- Talia managed to finally leave Josy with her very exhausted looking grandfather while Lukas took her to meet Professor Rowan.

"So how does someone as young as you become the assistant to a Pokemon Professor?" She asked conversationally, her admiration of the tweenager's obvious maturity growing the more time she spent with him.

"Well," Lukas started as he held the door open for her to enter the large, modern looking building with the plaque in front of it that proclaimed it a research facility under the direction of Professor Rowan, "I've grown up here and always tried my best to help the Professor. My dad," he gestured to a well-groomed, balding man in a gray sweater vest and pressed trousers typing furiously on a laptop in the corner, his small desk littered with paper stacks as high as pidgey, "He works here, so he kind of got me started."

Talia nodded and followed Lukas to the large work area at the back of the facility and through an impressively detailed oakwood door into an elaborate office full of plush carpeting and accented furniture done in the ghastliest shade of putrid green. A small yellow refrigerator stood behind the stately oaken desk, looking extremely out of place as it quietly hummed along.

Talia glanced around, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Lukas, I just wanted to meet the Professor, maybe get his autograph. I really don't want to disturb him…

Lukas grinned. "It's no problem, Professor Rowan's great! He'll be really excited to meet someone all the way from Kanto. He just got back from visiting Professor Oak there a few months ago and doing a lecture circuit around the region on the different evolutionary tracks pokemon take."

"If he was just there, why would he want to see me?" Talia pointed out with a smile.

Lukas's face fell. "Oh… yea… Well, he did say he really liked it there so…

The door flew open with a resounding BANG! as two men entered quickly, already engaged in deep conversation.

"They're so rare, I'm telling you, not enough is known yet to ascertain whether its through experience growth, metal coat, poffin, bond, or something completely new. All we know is that Lucario is definitely its next stage," a tall imposing man around sixty with gray, almost white hair was saying in a voice that echoed decades of knowledge and brokered no arguments.

"Riolu has been with me for over three years, and still not evolved," a younger man was saying, looking only slightly older than Talia with spikey black hair, smooth pale skin, and a tailored dark blue jacket that fit him like a glove. "Lucario and I have been working with him on centering his aura; sort of like how Lucario himself finally evolved, but nothing has transpired."

Talia and Lukas exchanged an amused look as they went completely ignored by the two men who continued their discussion after who could only be Professor Rowan had slammed the door shut. He seemed to be quite violent when it came to his door.

"You're making me repeat myself, Riley, for what must be the hundreth time," the Professor grunted, his voice rising as he spoke just like the vein in his forehead began to, "Aura is not a recognized means of evolution! I'm working on the nature of evolution and have it almost certainly categorized into two explanations. I'll give you a preview of my thesis- Aura meditation is NOT ONE OF THEM!"

Lukas was unfazed by the Professor's raging explosion but Talia was slinking slowly into the shadows of her chair, more than a little intimidated by the man. The other guy, Riley, looked nonplussed and calmly shot back, "You've already told me, Professor. You believe pokemon, by nature evolve either through growth or through completion of character. Well, what I'm saying is that auras _are_ the essence of one's character. By honing the aura, the vitality as well as the spirit becomes more complete."

"That's a load of unverifiable cr…." The Professor finally spotted his young assistant and stopped, open-mouthed before quickly changing gears. "Lukas? How long have you been standing there?"

'_Long enough,' _Talia thought darkly to herself as she made her presence known.

Lukas gave a nervous little laugh with all the scrutiny in the office now on him before he managed to fight down his blush and answer, "A few minutes, Professor."

When Talia saw that the boy had probably forgotten about her or the fact that introductions might be in order, Talia stepped forward toward the perplexed older man and the strangely intense younger one.

Addressing the former, she shook his hand, and said, "I'm a big fan of your work Professor Rowan. My name is Talia Masters and I live in the Kanto Region. I was just stopping by for an autograph if it's not too much trouble.. I don't want to take up your time," she added with a smile, hoping that the stern frown on Rowan's face wasn't due to her intrusion.

Glower still in place as he acknowledged her, Talia quickly turned to the other man and inquired, "Riley was it?" He gave a nod, his blue eyes warm like the oceans of Hoenn and something instantly tightened and heated in the pit of her stomach. An unwelcome blush heated her cheeks and she groaned inwardly. Why did she have to make a fool of herself in the office of a world renown pokemon evolution researcher as his kid assistant and a complete stranger looked on? "It's….umm…nice to meet you," she lamely finished, wishing the chirpy yellow refrigerator would just swallow her now.

He gently took her hand and, instead of shaking it, simply enfolded it in his own with a small squeeze. "A pleasure Miss Masters," he said, a small grin on his lips. Talia cringed slightly at the inner swoon her gut was taking as her cheeks insisted on upping the redness factor. She gave a tight nod back before he relinquished her hand.

Convincing her tingling nerve endings that no, they were not actually on fire, Talia awkwardly attempted to extract herself, "Well, thank you Lukas, but it seems like the Professor is busy…Professor Rowan…Riley…It was very nice to meet you both. I'll just be showing myself out now…"

The scowling Professor held up a hand, making Talia freeze. Wordlessly, he walked behind his desk to the yellow frig, extracted a richly purple-wrapped parcel, scribbled a note on said parcel and handed it to Talia who by this time, didn't know if she had really done something wrong or if the man just appeared homicidal with everyone.

Expecting a skull and crossbones toxin encased within the purple foil, Talia was surprised to find the sugary sweetness of a sizable chunk of candy. On the foil, the Professor has scribbled, _'To Talia, may you meet your evolutions head on and always grow from them.'_

She looked up at him bewildered, holding the candy as though it were a baby Ekans.

"It's a Rage Candy Bar. Can't get enough of them. You take care and listen to Professor Oak on his radio show. That girl Mary is a complete moron." Riley and Talia winced and quickly glanced to Lukas but the boy was just nodding along to Rowan's every word. "But Oak more than makes up for her."

Mystified by the cold attitude and the opposingly kind actions, Talia hesitantly murmured her agreement and after a final wave to Lukas, made her way out of the office and the lab. That Professor was a basket case…

Talia was just exiting the Pokemon Center with a freshly restored Saga and a much healthier looking Draco when she practically ran into Riley.

"Oh! There you are," he greeted with that same swoon-inducing grin from earlier as he steadied her. "I was hoping to run into you again before we went our ways, just not so hard. How long are you staying in Sinnoh?"

Talia racked her brain, trying to remember speech and formulate words, when a dreaded voice sounded from behind her like a black cloud of doom.

"That's one awesome jacket, dude."

Riley raised a brow at Volkner, taking in his own unique blue jacket and rocker look. The two of them looked completely ridiculous standing there outside the Sandgem PokeCenter, but Talia was going to let that fact speak for itself as her words still seemed to be failing her.

"Thanks…" Riley warily offered his hand. "You're Volkner, Sunnyshore's Gym Leader…what are you doing all the way in Sandgem?"

Volkner smirked. "I could ask you the same Riley." For his part, Riley looked mildly surprised. "And yes, I remember the selection process when Byron was trying to name a new Leader for Oreburgh. Your name came up more than a few times."

"I was the top of the list," Riley stated dryly, his expression darkening and making it clear he knew it was something Volkner already knew as well.

Talia didn't like where this was going but apparently it was right where Volkner wanted as he continued to prod, "Then why don't we call you 'Leader Riley?' hmm? Baby Byron beat you or something?"

Riley rolled his eyes and gave a soft chuckle. "Why aren't you tinkering away in Sunnyshore? Did they finally tire of your endless brooding and decide to kick you out?"

Volkner crossed his fingers over his heart in a mocking cross before his obnoxious smirk slipped away, a steely edge in its place. An electrifying stillness surrounding him as he said in a toneless, dispassionate voice, "I'm bored now. Which is why I'm here. I was bored there too. If you're not going to give me a challenge, clear out now."

Riley raised a brow and regarded Volkner for a moment before he nodded slowly. "Alright. Fine by me. Two against two work for you?"

Volkner's lip twitched but the air around him stayed charged with tension as he shrugged, "It won't affect the outcome."

"No, it certainly won't," Riley affirmed, tearing his eyes from Volkner's to grin easily at Talia, as though to say, 'this guy is insane…'

An unintentional giggle escaped her lips.

Volkner scowled suddenly, breaking his static bubble and grabbed Talia by the arm. He called over his shoulder, "We'll battle on the beach in an hour," as he began to half-drag, half-lead her away, ignoring her protests.


End file.
